Magia and the Mansions

 In my studies of the Mansions of the Moon I have come across instances in which they appear in unexpected places, in a variety of contexts. For better or worse these sources become part of the lore and the mythology of the Mansions of the Moon and examining them adds to the full picture of what the Mansions are as they continue to evolve and develop. I will elaborate on some of these as we go along. For this post I want to talk about the Faustian grimoire, Magia Naturalis et Innaturalis. 

Magia Naturalis et Innaturalis is a book of magic focused on spirit summoning based on a Solomonic model; spirits characterized as demons, the formation of written pacts with spirits, sigils representing spirit signatures, magic circles empowered by names of God, and strict spiritual purity of the magician. The copy of Magia that I am working with is published by Enodia Press.

As in other literary works about the magician Johannes Faust, one of the principal spirits is Mephistopheles, a name somewhat culturally familiar to many people. What is facsinating for our study is that 18 of the 28 spirits of the Mansions of the Moon appear with the same names in the spirit list of Magia as in Agrippa's Three Books of Occult Philosophy. Of the 10 others I have 7 names penciled in as likely contenders and three that I am as yet unsure about. I suspect all 28 are in there but some are in a form I don't recognize. All in all, there is a rather convoluted hierarchy that consists of more than sixty names and more recognizable names appear in the conjurations throughout the book. 

Here is some of what I have found so far. 

Barbiel figures prominently in Magia as one of the first spirits to have a detailed conjuration. He is described as a Grand Price of Hell and has many spirits under his command. The name Barbiel shows up in Agrippa's Three Books of Occult Philosophy as the spirit of the ninth Mansion, Atarfa, the Glance of the Lion. In the Latin Picatrix this spirit is named Raubel.

Aciel is another central spirit to the Magia scheme. Aciel is the same name given in both Agrippa and the Latin Picatrix as the spirit of the twenty fifth Mansion, Zaadelahbia.

Dirachiel is a spirit under Aciel with the rank of Count in the Infernal Army and has a lengthy conjuration. This is the name given in Agrippa for the spirit of the 6th Mansion, Alhana. In the Latin Picatrix this spirit is named Nederayhe.  

Jazariel is another Count in the Infernal Army under Aciel. In Agrippa this spirit is listed as Iazerial. In the Picatrix, Azerut. 

Kiriel comes next in Magia and is phonetically the same as Kyriel, spirit of the twentieth Mansion, Alnaym, the Beam. In the Latin Picatrix this spirit is listed as Queyhuc. In Magia Kiriel is a Noble Spirit and a "strong igneous spirit".  

Similarly, Amudiel is described as a Noble Spirit and a strong igneous spirit. In Agrippa this is Amutiel, the spirit of the 19th Mansion, Axaula. In the Latin Picatrix this is Annucel. 

Under Amudiel and Kiriel are five fire spirits all of which are Mansion spirits.

Bethanael is Bethnael in Agrippa and Bectue in the Picatrix, spirit of the 21st Mansion, Albelda.

Geliel, spirit of the twenty second Mansion, Sadahaca, is the same in all three books. 

Requiel is the same in Magia and in Agrippa but is Zequebin in the Picatrix. This is the spirit of the twenty third Mansion, Zaadebola. 

Apringiel is Abrinael in Agrippa and Abrine in the Picatrix and is the spirit of the twenty fourth Mansion, Al S'ad al Su'ud.

Tagriel is the same in all three books and is the name of the spirit of the 26th Mansion, Al Fargh al Awwal.

The next seven are "under the infernal army, 7 commoner spirits". 

Alhemiel is Alheniel in Agrippa and Abliemel in the Picatrix. This is the spirit of the twenty seventh Mansion, Al Fargh al Thani. 

Amnixiel is the same in Agrippa and is Anoxia in the Picatrix, spirit of Arrexhe, the twenty eighth Mansion. 

Egibiel is the spirit of the eighteenth Mansion, Alcalb, in Agrippa. This is the name that appears in Magia. The corresponding name in the Picatrix is Egribel.

Adriel is the same as in Agrippa, and Adrieb in the Picatrix, and is the spirit of the seventeenth Mansion, Aliklil. 

Azeruel is the same as in Agrippa. In the Picatrix this is Azeruch, spirit of the sixteenth Mansion, Azubene. 

Ergediel is the same as in Agrippa but shows up as Erdegal, spirit of the fourteenth Mansion, Azimech, in the Picatrix.

Abdicuel is Ahbdizuel in Agrippa and Abdizu in the Picatix. This is the spirit of the twelfth Mansion, Asarfa. 

And these are the spirit names that show up in Magia that I have suspicion strong enough to pair them with the Mansion spirits from Agrippa and the Picatrix, but not so strong that I am sure it is correct. 

Mephistophiel (Mephistopheles) does not have a one to one connection to the Mansion spirits. This is one of the "penciled in" correspondences for Annuncia, spirit of the third Mansion. In Agrippa this spirit is named Amixiel. In Magia part of Mephistophiel's conjuration says, "...and through your star, which is called Penothot..." which the footnote suggests is a corruption of Succoth Benoth or Benathot, the Hebrew name for the Pleiades. The Pleiades is the traditional indicator stars for the third Mansion. 

Germiciel is phonetically close enough to Geniel, spirit of the first Mansion according to Agrippa, and Geriz, the same spirit in the Latin Picatrix, that I suspect these are equivalent. 

Adiel could equate to the spirit of the second Mansion, Albotayn, which is Enediel in Agrippa and Enedil in the Picatrix.  

Could Assardiel be the same as Azariel, the spirit of the fourth Mansion, Aldebaran, in Agrippa, which is Assarez in the Picatrix?

Perhaps Cafphiel is the name of the spirit of the fifth Mansion, Almices, which is given as Gabiel in Agrippa and Cabil in the Latin Picatrix. 

Kniedadiel has a passing phonetic resemblance to Amnediel, Agrippa's spirit of the eighth Mansion, Annathra. In the Picatrix this spirit is named Annediex. 

Apachtiel could potentially equate to Ataliel, the spirit of the fifteenth Mansion, Algafra, according to Agrippa. This is Achalich in the Latin Picatrix. 

I have yet to identify the corresponding names in Magia for the last three Mansions; Seheliel in the seventh Mansion, Aldira; Ardefiel in the tenth Mansion, Algebha; and Neciel in the eleventh Mansion. 

So, why does this matter? 

The biggest reason for me is that it is a curious occurrence to have strikingly similar lists of spirit names. How did this happen? Could the Mansion spirits and the spirits of Magia have been connected the whole time? I think the possibility that the spirits of Magia are somehow an echo of ancient Mansion spirit magic to be exceedingly remote. It is much more likely that the names of the spirits of the Mansions of the Moon, as a known spirit list, were attached to the spirits of Magia at a much more recent date. 

But, really, it doesn't matter much. The names in Magia Naturalis et Innatualis have come down to us as variations on the names of the spirits of the Mansions of the Moon and for that reason they are linked. Working Magia as a grimoire can be a way to learn about the Mansions of the Moon. The attributes of the spirits of Magia add complexity and depth to the spirits of the Mansions and are part of what a full portrait would be. 

But, also, maybe more importantly, it gives us another way to interact with and approach the spirits of the Mansions. Just as Jake Stratton-Kent attributes the spirits of the Grimorium Verum to the Mansions of the Moon, the spirits of Magia suggest that a Solomonic framework is appropriate for working with these spirits. I think this is an area ripe for exploration. 

Lunar Mansion Report, July 14, 2025 to July 20, 2025

 This is an entry in a continuing series of posts looking at the Moon's position and condition in the week ahead with an eye to the Mansions of the Moon. This is an exercise to help me track the speed of the Moon, organize my thoughts on the Mansions, and think about the practical applications. 

All times are for me locally, United States Pacific Time. I will be making note of the Moon's phase, speed, and Mansion position in my assessment. Currently, I'm not considering aspects with other planets.

Lunar Mansion Report, July 14, 2025 to July 20, 2025

Monday, July 14th, 2025. The Moon is briefly in Al Fargh al Awwal, the Upper Waterspout, when July 14th begins. At 12:22am the Moon moves into the next Mansion, Al Fargh al Thani, the Lower Waterspout, and continues there until 11:04pm at which point the Moon moves into the next Mansion, Arrexhe, the Rope, the third Mansion of July 14th. The phase is Waning Gibbous which is wrathful and supports works of diminishment and decline. 

It will take the Moon only 22 hours and 42 minutes to get through Al Fargh al Thani. This is fast and it is 19 minutes less than the previous Mansion so the Moon is accelerating. A fast Moon may make magic happen quickly but it may also make the effects dissipate more quickly. 

The wrathful powers of Al Fargh al Awwal include damaging the relationships between partners, restraining a captive and torturing him (Gayat al Hakim), and destroyeth prisons and buildings (Agrippa). 

The image in the Latin Picatrix for this Mansion is a woman washing her hair in a basin. This is an image of spiritual cleansing as Al Fargh al Awwal controls the subtle and lustral waters, the holy and blessed waters.

The wrathful powers of Al Fargh al Thani include damaging the assets of a person you are concerned with, damaging the relationship between spouses, hurting someone riding on a ship, prolonging the captivity of a prisoner (Gayat al Hakim), to impede the building of buildings, and for the destruction of springs and wells (Latin Picatrix).  

The image in the Latin Picatrix is a man with wings holding a vessel. Al Fargh al Thani is the Lower Waterspout and represents the waters of physical healing. These are the vivifying waters of life. In Nigel Jackson's Celestial Magic, he suggests Al Fargh al Thani is powerful for operations of prophecy and foreknowledge. 

The wrathful powers of Arrexhe are destroying trusts, restraining and harming prisoners, hurting someone riding on a ship (Gayat al Hakim), besiege cities, get rid of things, cdetroy an area, make treasures be lost, to make the incarceration of captives firm, and inflict evil on sailors at sea (Latin Picatrix)

The image in the Latin Picatrix for Arrexhe is a fish with a colored spine, a bit of sympathetic magic for attracting more fish to a particular spot. In my own mind there is a connection to the stories of a person being eaten by a fish or a whale and later being expelled.  

The Moon is in Arrexhe when July 14th ends. 

Tuesday, July 15th, 2025. The Moon is in Arrexhe, the Rope, when July 15th begins. The Moon moves into the next Mansion, Alnath, the Butting One, at 9:32pm. The phase is Waning Gibbous which is good for works of contraction and loss.

The Moon will move across Arrexhe for 22 hours and 28 minutes. Not only is this fast but it is 14 minutes less than the previous Mansion so the Moon continues to speed up. A fast Moon can make magic happen more quickly but may also make it pass more quickly.

The wrathful powers of Arrexhe are destroying trusts, restraining and harming prisoners, hurting someone riding on a ship (Gayat al Hakim), besiege cities, get rid of things, cdetroy an area, make treasures be lost, to make the incarceration of captives firm, and inflict evil on sailors at sea (Latin Picatrix)

The image in the Latin Picatrix for Arrexhe is a fish with a colored spine, a bit of sympathetic magic for attracting more fish to a particular spot. In my own mind there is a connection to the stories of a person being eaten by a fish or a whale and later being expelled. 

The wrathful powers of Alnath include to kill enemies, guards for demolition and crushing (Ibn Hatim), create discord and enmity between spouses or friends, to sabotage a partnership with fiery evil (Ghayat al Hakim), for destruction and depopulation, and to kill (Latin Picatrix).

The image in the Latin Picatrix for Alnath is a a black man with his hair wrapped and encircled, standing on his feet, having a spear in his right hand in the manner of a warrior. Alnath is a rather grim Mansion in which works of destruction are empowered.

The Moon is in Alnath when July 15th ends. 

Wednesday, July 16th, 2025. The Moon is in Alnath, the Butting One, when July 16th begins. At 7:43pm the Moon moves into the next Mansion, Albotayn, the Little Belly. The phase is Waning Gibbous which is best for works of hinderance and delay. 

The Moon will travel across Alnath for 22 hours and 11 minutes. This is 17 minutes less than the previous Mansion. This means the Moon is fast and getting faster. A fast Moon can make the effects of magic pass quickly but may make those effects manifest quickly. 

The wrathful powers of Alnath include to kill enemies, guards for demolition and crushing (Ibn Hatim), create discord and enmity between spouses or friends, to sabotage a partnership with fiery evil (Ghayat al Hakim), for destruction and depopulation, and to kill (Latin Picatrix).

The image in the Latin Picatrix for Alnath is a a black man with his hair wrapped and encircled, standing on his feet, having a spear in his right hand in the manner of a warrior. Alnath is a rather grim Mansion in which works of destruction are empowered.

The wrathful powers of Albotayn include to sabotage a marriage before it can be consummated, to worsen the conditions of a captive to harm them (Ghayat al Hakim), destruction of buildings before they can be completed, and to enrage one man against another (Latin Picatrix). 

 The image in the Latin Picatrix for Albotayn is a king on a throne. The approximate Chinese Seiu that corresponds to Albotayn is The Storeroom. Combined with the talismanic purposes of digging wells and finding hidden treasure, in my mind, the king is an underworld figure, a king in his sepulcher, surrounded by his riches. 

The Moon is in Albotayn when July 16th comes to a close.

Thursday, July 17, 2025. The Moon is in Albotayn, the Little Belly, when July 17th begins and then moves into the next Mansion, Azoraye, the Many Little Ones, at 5:40pm. The phase at the beginning of the day is Waning Gibbous, which is good for works of destabilization and confusion. At 5:37pm the Moon makes a square aspect with the Sun and then the phase changes to Waning Crescent which is best for abrupt endings and obfuscation. 

The Moon will travel across Albotayn for 21 hours and 57 minutes. This is fast. The Moon is also accelerating, traveling through Albotatyn 14 minutes faster than the previous Mansion. A fast Moon may make magic happen quickly but may also make the effects of magic dissipate quickly. 

The wrathful powers of Albotayn include to sabotage a marriage before it can be consummated, to worsen the conditions of a captive to harm them (Ghayat al Hakim), destruction of buildings before they can be completed, and to enrage one man against another (Latin Picatrix). 

 The image in the Latin Picatrix for Albotayn is a king on a throne. The approximate Chinese Seiu that corresponds to Albotayn is The Storeroom. Combined with the talismanic purposes of digging wells and finding hidden treasure, in my mind, the king is an underworld figure, a king in his sepulcher, surrounded by his riches. 

The wrathful powers of Azoraye include sabotaging a partnership, torturing a prisoner, destroying sheep, goats, and cows (Ghayat al Hakim), to firmly incarcerate captives (Latin Picatrix). Overall, Azoraye is considered very beneficial so wrathful qualities are very few. One could use the wrathful time to interrupt or take away the good things and luck that this Mansion usually represents. 

The image in the Latin Picatrix for Azoraye is a seated woman with her right hand above her head. Given the overwhelming positivity associated with this Mansion this is most likely a gesture of blessing. The traditional indicator stars for this Mansion are the Pleiades, the Seven Sisters, a grouping of stars with a long and legendary past. The Pleiades are one of the 15 Behenian stars whose powers include, according to Agrippa, "brings an increase to light of the eyes, collects daemons, promotes winds, and reveals secrets and hidden things." And the image is "a virgin girl or the figure of a torch".

The Moon is in Azoraye when July 17th ends.

Friday, July 18th, 2025. The Moon is in Azoraye, the Many Little Ones, when July 18th begins. At 3:27pm the Moon moves into the next Mansion, Aldebaran, the Bull's Eye. The phase is Waning Crescent which is best for works of cutting and death. 

It will take the Moon 21 hours and 47 minutes to transit Azoraye. That is fast and 13 minutes faster than the previous Mansion, so she is accelerating. A fast Moon may make magic happen more quickly but may also make those effect pass more quickly. 

The wrathful powers of Azoraye include sabotaging a partnership, torturing a prisoner, destroying sheep, goats, and cows (Ghayat al Hakim), to firmly incarcerate captives (Latin Picatrix). Overall, Azoraye is considered very beneficial so wrathful qualities are very few. One could use the wrathful time to interrupt or take away the good things and luck that this Mansion usually represents. 

The image in the Latin Picatrix for Azoraye is a seated woman with her right hand above her head. Given the overwhelming positivity associated with this Mansion this is most likely a gesture of blessing. The traditional indicator stars for this Mansion are the Pleiades, the Seven Sisters, a grouping of stars with a long and legendary past. The Pleiades are one of the 15 Behenian stars whose powers include, according to Agrippa, "brings an increase to light of the eyes, collects daemons, promotes winds, and reveals secrets and hidden things." And the image is "a virgin girl or the figure of a torch".

The wrathful powers of Aldebaran include to corrupt a city, to build a building not expected to last or stay in good condition, destroying crops, ruining a relationship between spouses, to bring bad luck to one digging buried goods, attract scorpions and snakes (Ghayat al Hakim), for enmity and hatred (Ibn Hatim), to make a lord despise his servant, destroy fountains and streams (Latin Picatrix), and to cause fear, submission, and uncertainty (Celestial Magic).

The image of Aldebaran in the Latin Picatrix is a knight on horseback holding a viper in his hand. This image is very similar to more than a few goetic spirits from the Lemegeton. A wrathful Aldebaran is the king killer. 

The Moon is in Aldebaran when July 18th comes to a close. 

Saturday, July 19th, 2025. The Moon is in Aldebaran when July 19th begins. At 1:01pm the Moon moves into the next Mansion, Almices, the Brilliant One. The phase is Waning Crescent which supports works of obscuring and destroying. 

The Moon will travel across Aldebaran for 21 hours and 34 minutes. This is fast and it is 13 minutes faster than the previous Mansion. A fast Moon may make magic manifest quickly but may also make those effects dissipate quickly. 

The wrathful powers of Aldebaran include to corrupt a city, to build a building not expected to last or stay in good condition, destroying crops, ruining a relationship between spouses, to bring bad luck to one digging buried goods, attract scorpions and snakes (Ghayat al Hakim), for enmity and hatred (Ibn Hatim), to make a lord despise his servant, destroy fountains and streams (Latin Picatrix), and to cause fear, submission, and uncertainty (Celestial Magic).

The image of Aldebaran in the Latin Picatrix is a knight on horseback holding a viper in his hand. This image is very similar to more than a few goetic spirits from the Lemegeton. A wrathful Aldebaran is the king killer. 

Almices is such a favorable Mansion that the only wrathful power listed in the Ghayat al Hakim, the Latin Picatrix, Agrippa's Three Books of Occult Philosophy, and Nigel Jackson's Celestial Magic is the sabotage and ruining of partnerships or relationships. Alternately, the beneficial powers of increased intellect and favor can be turned on their heads. 

The image in the Latin Picatrix for this Mansion is a disembodied head, the seat of sight, hearing, and understanding.

The Moon is in Almices when July 19th ends.

Sunday, July 20th, 2025. The Moon is in Almices, the Brilliant One, when July 20th begins. At 10:30am the Moon then moves into the next Mansion, Alhana, the Mark. The phase is Waning Crescent which is best for works of severance and abandonment. 

It will take the Moon 21 hours and 29 minutes to travel across Almices. This is fast and is 6 minutes less than the previous Mansion so the Moon is speeding up. A fast Moon may make magic happen quickly but may also make the effects pass quickly. 

Almices is such a favorable Mansion that the only wrathful power listed in the Ghayat al Hakim, the Latin Picatrix, Agrippa's Three Books of Occult Philosophy, and Nigel Jackson's Celestial Magic is the sabotage and ruining of partnerships or relationships. Alternately, the beneficial powers of increased intellect and favor can be turned on their heads. 

The image in the Latin Picatrix for this Mansion is a disembodied head, the seat of sight, hearing, and understanding.

The wrathful powers of Alhana include corrupting cities and confining them, retaliating from kings, inflicting harm and damage on enemies, ruining crops and trusts causing adverse effects of medication (Ghayat al Hakim), to break resistance (Celestial Magic), and to impede the work of physicians (Agrippa). 

The image for Alhana in the Latin Picatrix is a white man embracing a white woman. The title The Mark refers to a mark signifying ownership, like a brand on livestock. This is a Mansion of declaring commitments. Another symbol for it might be a wedding ring. The white man and the white woman are twin halves of a whole and Alhana weds them together. 

The Moon is in Alhana when July 20th ends.